Suriya Sivakumar

Saravanan alias Suriya Sivakumar is popularly known as Suriya and is an Indian actor in the Tamil film industry. He is well known for his versatile roles in various films. Surya's father is the renowned veteran Tamil actor Sivakumar. He is the eldest of the three children; his younger brother is the award-winning actor Karthik Sivakumar, and he has a younger sister named Brindha, who is married to an industrialist named Sivakumar.

Suriya went to the prestigious St. Bede's School in Chennai. He graduated from Loyola College with a B.Com. and worked for a few years in the garment industry before foraying into the film industry.

Suriya is married to Jyothika Saravanan, a popular Tamil actress. They are blessed with two children: a daughter named Diya and a son named Dev.

Career

His debut film, Nerrukku Ner (1997), with Vijay, was a big hit, but all his succeeding films did not do well. His first reasonable success was in the movie with Vijay called Friends. But he did not get any big breaks, and his career seemed to be stalled until director Bala approached him for a role in his next venture, Nandha. This was his first solo hit, and Suriya won his first Filmfare award for best actor for this movie.

Suriya’s next venture was with Vikraman in the movie Unnai Ninathu, and the movie was able to record good collections. This was followed by Mounam Pesiyadhe, which also did decently well. Suriya’s second blockbuster was Kaakha Kaakha, a movie about the life of a police officer.

This movie raised the profile of Suriya tremendously and made him a huge star overnight. This was also the movie that fueled intense speculation about his relationship with fellow co-star Jyothika. This was due in part to the strong screenchemistry shared by both of them. Also, Pithamagan alongside Vikram was a big hit, in which Surya was appreciated for playing a happy-go-lucky village guy and thus proving his skills as a comedian too.

In the movie Perazhagan, Suriya acted in two roles, one as a boxer and the other as a handicapped but confident phone booth keeper. His role as the handicapped man was praised by critics, and he received a Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance. His role in Aayitha Ezhuthu as a student leader was also favoured by the critics.

In 2005, Surya delivered more successful films in the form of Aaru and Ghajini; afterwards, he set up a production company called Studio Green along with his cousin K.E. Ganavelraja. Ghajini was one of the most sensational hits of 2005, with Suriya playing a short-term memory loss patient, for which he even tonsured his head. The film was his third blockbuster and grossed over Rs. 200 million at the box office. By then, the trade was comparing him to long-established actors such as Vikram, Vijay, and Ajith.

Suriya's 2006 release is Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. He acted opposite his real-life partner, Jyothika, in the film. The film was an average grosser. In 2007, Suriya's solitary release was Vel, where he was paired with Asin Thottumkal. The film became a hit at the box office. From here, he started doing movies for all A, B, and C centers' audiences.

In 2008, he appeared in Vaaranam Aayiram, directed by Gautham Menon. He won several awards. Suriya played a son and a father, with ages ranging from 17 to 75 years. His next film, Ayan, in 2009, was directed by K. V. Anand and went on to become the highest grosser of that year in Tamil Nadu. He played the role of a smuggler. His next release was Aadhavan, directed by K. S. Ravikumar. In 2010, he had his 25th release with Singam, directed by Hari, in which he played the role of a police officer.

He made his Bollywood debut in Ram Gopal Varma's two-part political drama Rakta Charitra.

Suriya was named as the official host of the new game show to be presented on STAR Vijay, Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, the Tamil version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which began airing on February 27 and ended on July 12, 2012. His next film was Singam II, a sequel to his 2010 film Singam, that got released on July 5, 2013.

The film received a positive response from critics and had a huge opening. Suriya was once again acclaimed for his portrayal of Durai Singam, and his performance was hailed as "the film's backbone."

Endorsements

Suriya has been the ambassador for TVS Motor, Aircel, and Sunfeast since 2006. He has endorsed Saravana Stores, Bharathi Cements, and Emami Navaratna products since 2010. In 2011, he had signed a new deal with Nescafé, Zandu Balm, and the Close-Up (toothpaste) brand as of May 2011. As of 2012, Suriya had endorsed the leading jewellery group, Malabar Gold.

Other Works

In 2008, Suriya began the Agaram Foundation, working to help children who drop out of school early in Tamil Nadu. With the Ministry of Education in Tamil Nadu, he created a short commercial video outlining child poverty, labor, and lack of education, titled "Herova?" or "Zerova?" The film was written and produced by Sivakumar and also starred Joseph Vijay, R. Madhavan, and Jyothika.

Agaram sponsored 159 underprivileged students in 2010 for their higher education in various disciplines. With the firm belief that an educated mind can not only eliminate social evils but also aid in the socio-economic upbringing of society, the Agaram Foundation works towards providing appropriate learning opportunities to the rural populace who do not otherwise have access to quality education.

Suriya, along with his father and brother, has also extended help towards the education of Sri Lankan Tamil children on behalf of the Sivakumar Charitable Trust. He is also an active participant in other philanthropic works such as the "Save The Tigers" campaign, which aids in the protection and preservation of tigers in India, and a non-profit organisation that cures TB patients for free using supervised medication programs. The actor celebrates every birthday by doing charity work across Tamil Nadu.